Downloads of content, particularly ringtones and games, have been a profitable means for obtaining additional revenue for mobile operators. Content for mobile devices has been sold to end users via dedicated storefronts. For example, content has been sold via a storefront available on the “wireless deck” (or portal) resident on Wireless Application Protocol (WAP)-enabled devices such as mobile or cellular phones when the user opens the wireless browser on the mobile device. Similar content has also been sold on dedicated web portals for downloadable content including polyphonic ringtones, graphics and games. An example of such a web portal is Zingy.com. Such content is typically organized according to various categories and taxonomies (e.g., entertainment, sports, etc.). They are sorted by device type and type of content, such as ringtones, graphics, games.
Premium text messaging allows the mobile customer to pay for content by receiving a text message and having the downloaded content billed on monthly cell phone bills. Jamster, which is a subsidiary of VeriSign, is one of the pioneers in selling mobile content via premium short message service (SMS) shortcodes in which Jamster purchases advertising on television networks and in magazines to promote a specific piece of mobile content. The user sends a text message to a shortcode, such as 75555, along with a promotional code from the advertisement. This text message sends a server request to Jamster, which then directs a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) push message back to the user that, upon being clicked on and opened, facilitates device detection and triggers the download of the content to the mobile device.
The Wireless Application Protocol is a layered protocol making transmissions of WAP content possible over almost any available wireless network. These networks include those based on Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Code-Division Multiple Access (CDMA) and Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD) among other technologies. WAP-enabled devices include a microbrowser that enables content browsing at a web server that serves requested files in Wireless Markup Language (WML) to the WAP-enabled device via a WAP gateway. Unlike Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) that downloads a new HTML file with each link that is clicked on a web page, WML files contain a deck of pages each representing a separate screen.
There is a need for a mobile content delivery system and methods that can access (discover) and deliver media contextual content directly to a user's mobile device during a program broadcast or an interactive online session without the requirement for the user to access an electronic storefront that provides user-selected media content.